How much of the workforce (in the U.S.) will be at a risk for digitalization in the 21st century?

It might not be the easiest question to grasp, but your job may well be automated during the 21st century – and that might be the case for your family member and neighbor as well.

Now is this a problem or an opportunity, and will specific type of jobs be affected?

We have an answer to the latter question. Jobs with high educational level and high salaries are less susceptible of being replaced. However, nearly all of the 720 occupations from the study are at risk/opportunity of being affected. Some examples can be seen in the following table:

Rank

Probability*

SOC code

Occupation

1.

0.0028

29-1125

Recreational Therapists

163.

0.084

39-9011

Childcare Workers

489.

0.85

19-4051

Nuclear Technicians

720.

0.99

41-9041

Telemarketers

Table: The probability for certain occupations to be replaced by digitalization [1].

Whether digitalization is a problem or an opportunity lies in the eye of the beholder, but what is your view? Take a look at the following research to see how high the risk/opportunity is in your job: The Future of Employment (2013)

[1] Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael A. Osborne, 2013, The Future of Employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation?

*Probability of the work being at risk of digitilization in the twenty-first century?